Canopy-frame.



H. G. MARSH.

CANOPY FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED mums. I915- Ll MfiM. {Patented May 30,1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, WASHINGTON, D4 c.

T TAE@ F HALBERT Gr. MARSH, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CANOPY-FRAME.

Application filed June 28, 1915.

ferson and State of Alabama, have invented.

certain new and useful Improvements in Canopy-Frames, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in a collapsible canopy framehaving as its object to design a very cheap and economical means forhingedly connecting the radial wires or rods forming the frame to acenter so that they can be assembled easily and without requiring anyexpensive machine work and can be folded up with the canopy connectedthereto for convenience in ship ping. I propose to construct the canopyframe by a plurality of radial rods or wires having eyes formed at theirouter ends and having their inner ends bent at right angles and in theplane of the eyes to form a short pivotal hinge member for the rod. Thecenter attachment for the rods comprises an upper and a lower platewhich are made detachable, the lower plate having radial sockets cast orpressed therein with right angle extensions at their inner ends to receive the pivotal hinge members on the rods and the upper plate isdesigned to overlap the grooved extensions and the hinge members of therods, and is slotted above the radial portion of the grooves to permitthe rods to be swung about their hinge members into upright position.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated what I regard thepreferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood that thesame may be variously modified in its details without departing from thespirit of my invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of the canopy frameextended. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the top plate; and Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the bottom plate showing the frame rods seated in their bearingstherein.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

The bottom plate 1, which may be of cast or pressed steel, is providedwith a plurality of radial grooves or seats 2 having each a short rightangle extension 3 on the corresponding side of its inner end. At theirouter ends the seats extend to the periphery Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May so, rare.

Serial No. 36,761.

of the plate 1 which in its center is provided with a bolt hole 4 andwith a pointed stud 5 which projects slightly above its upper surface.The top plate 6, which may be punched from fiat steel, is provided witha center opening 7 and with a socket 8 in its under face adapted toreceive the stud 5 so as to center the top and bottom plates and brlngthe short radial notches 9 in the upper plate in position above theseats 2 in the bot-.

tom plate. In this position the plate 6 overlies the groove extensions3. The frame is formed by a series of rods or wires which, at theirouter ends, are provided with loop eyes 10 for the convenient attachmentthereto of the netting and at their inner ends are bent at right anglesand in the plane of the loop eyes to form short pivotal bearings 11adapted to seat in the groove extension 3 in the base plate while therods are seated in the groove 2. The frame, as customarily made, isprovided with two oppositely disposed short rods 12 and four longer endrods 13. Due to the difference in length of the rods they are not setequidistantly about the plate, the side rods 12 being set closer to theadjacent end rods 13 than said end rods are set to each other. For thisreason and in order to facilitate the assembling of the top and bottomplates so as to bring the notches of the former into alinement with thegrooves in the latter, I provide the stud 5 and socket 8. The inner endsof the notches 9 extend inwardly to the inner ends of the grooves 2 andhave substantially the same width as the grooves, hence, when inoperating position, one side wall of each slot 9 will overlap the innerpivotal bearing end 11 of its corresponding rod, thereby hinging therods between the plates and permitting them to swing freely up throughthe slots 9 to vertical or collapsed position. In order to secure theplates and rods in assembled position, I pass the screw shank 14 of ahook 15 through the registering holes 4 and 7 in the plates, and run upa nut 16 on the shank to clamp the plates firmly together. The hook isadapted to receive the cord by which the canopy frame is suspended. Thetop and bottom plates may be made of any suit able material and may bemanufactured in any other manner than that described, but from the pointof economic construction it is preferable to fasten between them theframe rods by means of an angled end on each rod, as this can be formedat one operation and avoid the expense of flattening and punching therods to insert hinge pins or bending Wires. The parts are easilyassembled, can be quickly repaired, and the manner of hinging the rodsto the center plates permits them to be collapsed with the canopyconnected thereto for convenient and the rods and the portions of thegrooves that receive them being rounded to permit the rods to swing upand down in vertical radial planes relatively to the center plate, a topplate adapted to overlie the angled ends of the rods in their groovebearings and having radial slots spaced in correspondence with theradial portions of the grooves in the center plate to permit the rods toswing upwardly therethrough, interlocking means on said plates to setthem in position with their respective slots and grooves in register,and a suspension means adapted to fasten the plates in interlockedposition, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HALBERT G. MARSH. Witness:

NOMIE WELSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patente,

' Washington, D. O.

